Motivation: “There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does.” ~ Daniel Pink

The funny thing about motivation is that once the bubble of intrinsic motivation has been burst, causing us to lose focus, it can be very difficult to regain.  This bubble can be burst for many reasons.  For me, it was surgery and the distraction of recovery.  For Daniel Pink, in his 2009 TED talk, the instrument that businesses use that bursts the bubble of intrinsic motivation is financial incentives.  In fact, what he actually alludes to is more than this.  It is all carrot and stick contingent consequences.  He shows us that by using  incentives to try to increase motivation, we often have either the opposite effect or no effect at all on motivation.  While this might be what people tell you they want in order to be motivated, what scientific research has revealed is that these tools have the opposite effect on the most powerful and effective forms of motivation.